Spano Concedes, Sort Of (Updated)

State Sen. Spano Nick, R-Yonkers, called Democrat AndreaÂ Stewart-Cousins just before his noon press conference to concede the 35th SD race, according toÂ someone close to the Stewart-Cousins campaign.Â

Spano referred to his opponent as “senator-elect” and said he hopes she loves the job as much as he did.

Spano then proceded to his district office, where he gave a long concession speech. Democrats were overjoyed, until the end of Spano’s stemwinder, when he called out Stewart-Cousins’ spokesman, Ted Lazarus, and said something along the lines of (this is not a direct quote):

“Like Lazarus, I might rise from the dead if the paper ballots are opened.”

In case you need a biblical refresher, Lazarus was raised from the dead by Jesus. So, perhaps what Spano was saying is that he needs a miracle?

(UPDATE: Evidently, there are two separate characters in the Bible named “Lazarus,” and I was confusing them. I’ve corrected that. Thanks toÂ my friendly neighborhood biblical scholar (haha) for the information.

My Stewart-Cousins source called the senator’s comment a “knuckleball,” saying Democrats are now unsureÂ whetherÂ a judge will decide at 3 p.m. this afternoon to allow the opening of some 4,300 paper ballots (that’s the number the Journal News is using, Senate Dems said 3,500).

“There are two sets of talking points,” my source said – one for the victory speech and another for the paper ballot counting scenario.

After the machine recanvassing was complete, Stewart-Cousins led Spano by about 1,800 votes.